Tree Stump Grinder Glossary

A

Arborist: A professional who specializes in the care and maintenance of trees, including stump removal.

B

Bearing Housing: Component that holds the bearings which support the cutter wheel shaft.

Beltcase: Protective housing that covers the drive belts on a stump grinder.

Blade Pocket: The holder on the cutting wheel where individual cutting teeth are mounted.

C

Carbide Teeth/Tips: Hardened cutting elements attached to the grinding wheel that actually cut into the wood.

Chip Curtain: Protective flap that helps contain flying wood chips and debris during grinding.

Cutting Depth: Maximum depth below ground level that a particular grinder can reach.

Cutting Height: Maximum height above ground level that a grinder can cut.

Cutting Width: The side-to-side range that a grinding wheel can cover in a single sweep.

Cutter Wheel: The main rotating disc that holds the cutting teeth (also called a grinding wheel).

D

Drive Belt: Belt that transfers power from the engine to the cutter wheel.

Depth Stop: Mechanism that limits how deep the cutter wheel can go.

E

Engine Guard: Protective covering over the engine.

G

Green Teeth: A popular brand of replacement teeth for stump grinders featuring a quick-change system.

Grinding Sweep: The side-to-side motion used to remove a stump.

Ground Pressure: Amount of downward force the machine exerts on the ground surface.

H

Hydraulic Control: System that uses fluid pressure to control the movement of the cutting head.

Hydraulic Steering: Steering system powered by hydraulic pressure rather than manual force.

K

Kerf: Width of the cut made by the stump grinder teeth.

M

Maintenance-Free Bearings: Sealed bearings that don’t require regular lubrication.

Manual Sweep: Hand-controlled movement of the cutting head from side to side.

O

Operating Radius: The total area a stump grinder can cover without being repositioned.

Operator Presence Control: Safety feature that stops the machine if the operator releases the controls.

P

Pocket Bolt: Bolt that secures cutting teeth to the cutter wheel.

Polychain Belt: High-strength belt used in some stump grinders as an alternative to traditional V-belts.

Pockets: Metal holders on the cutting wheel that house the cutting teeth.

Push-Pull Handle: Control used to move the cutting head forward and backward.

R

Root Cutting: Removing tree roots with a stump grinder.

RPM (Revolutions Per Minute): Speed at which the cutting wheel rotates.

S

Self-Propelled: Stump grinder with powered wheels for easier movement around a job site.

Stump Cutter: Another term for a stump grinder.

Sweep Arc: The maximum side-to-side range of motion of the cutting wheel.

Swing Cylinder: Hydraulic cylinder that controls the side-to-side movement of the cutting head.

T

Teeth/Cutters: The removable cutting elements attached to the cutter wheel.

Track Drive: Propulsion system using continuous tracks instead of wheels for better traction.

Tow-Behind Stump Grinder: Unit designed to be towed by another vehicle to the work site.

V

Vermeer: A major manufacturer of stump grinders and other tree care equipment.

V-Belt: Traditional belt with a V-shaped cross-section used to transfer power from the engine to the cutter wheel.

W

Wheel Drive: System that powers the wheels on self-propelled stump grinders.

Working Width: Maximum width the cutting wheel can cover in a single pass.